Mail-catcher.



F. W. & R. E. KNOWLES.

MAILCATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1916.

1,278,355. Pdtented Sept. 10,1918;

ATTOR N'EY FRANK W. KNOWLES AND ROY E. KNOWLES, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

MAIL-CATCI-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Sept. 10, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRAxx W. KNowLns and Roy E. KN owLEs, citizens of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented, certain new and useful Improvements in lilail-Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail catchers and more particularly to a hook adapted to be secured and operated from the car for catching a mail bag from the crane which is along the side 01": the track.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a hook of this character which will easily catch and securely hold the mail bag in position until removed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mail catching hook which may be adjusted and held in position until the bag is caught after which it is automatically released and allowed to drop after the bag has been caught.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the hook may be reversed for catching the mail when the train is going in either direction.

lVith these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more clearly understood from the following description and drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan of the hook with parts broken away,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan, with parts broken away, showing the detailed construction of the supporting elements and operating elements of the hook, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

' In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a rod which extends across the doorway of the mail car and is journaled in any suitable bearings. A casting 2 of the shape illustrated is keyed upon the rod 1 by means of the key 3 entering a groove in the rod and casting, said casting being provided with the arms 1 and 5 each of which has a central bore through which the rod 1 passes. The arm 1 is beveled as indicated at 4: and is provided near the forward edge with a substantially V-shape-d notch indicated at (3, more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing and the purpose of which will be presently described. The arm 5 is provided on the inner face with a recess indicated at 7 and a coil spring 8 is received in the recess 7 and has one end connected to the arm 5 by means of an extension 9 extending into an opening formed in the arm as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

A sleeve 10 is rotatably mounted upon the rod 1 and one end of the sleeve 10 is beveled as indicated at 11 and is provided on the forward end of the bevel with a V-shaped projection 12 to be received in the notch 6 when the hook is in posit-ion to receive a mail bag. The opposite-end of the sleeve is beveled as indicated at 13 and the purpose of which will be presently described. The extension 1 1 on the coiled spring 8 is secured to the inclined face 13 as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The sleeve 10 is provided with an in teriorly longitudinally extending bore and a second bore, extending across the first mentioned bore at an angle as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the purpose of which will be presently described.

A sleeve 15 is formed on the top of the sleeve 10 and extends at right angles thereto and said sleeve is provided with the longitudinal bore adapted to receive a rod 16 having a handle 17 formed on one end thereof and the opposite end bent at right angles as indicated at 18, more particularly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The end of the right angled extension 18 is curved to form the loop member indicated at 19 and said loop member has an arm 20 extending at an angle therefrom. A shoulder 21 is formed on the rod 16, the purpose of which will be presently described. A transverse key 22 is secured to the rod 16 and is adapted to be received in an elongated recess formed in the end of the sleeve, 15, as is more particularly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

A groove 23, illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, is formed longitudinally of the right-angled extension 18 and an L-shaped catch member comprising arms 24 and 25 is pivotally connected in the groove by means of a pin 26 extending through the extension 18. The arm 24 is provided with Fig. 1 of the drawing thereby holding the arms 24 and 25 in the position shown. A recess 28, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, is formed in the position shown and is adapted to receive the spring-catch member 27 when the arms are swung upon the pivot point and when this is done, it will be seen that the arm 2% will assume the position originally held by arm 25 and the arm.

25 will enter the groove 23 and be held in such position.

Having fully described the details of construction it is thought the advantages and operation will be clearly understood. When the several parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the hook is adapted to receive the mail bag. The projection 12 formed on the sleeve 10 will be received in the notch 6 of the arm 4 and the coiled spring 8 will be under tension. hen in this position the hook member will extend at right angles to the side of the car and the arm 20 will be directed in such position as to engage the mail bag which will be hung from the crane along the side of the track. The bag will engage the arm 25 thereby releasing the catch 27 from the end of the groove and swinging the arms upon the pivot point 26, thereby bringing the arm 24: in the position formerly held by the arm 25 and the catch engaging in the notch or recess 28. The mail bag will then be held in the loop 19 of the hook. The mail bag coming into contact with the hook will swing the sleeve 10 at an angle thereby releasing the projection 12 from the notch 6 and the coilspring will rotate the sleeve until the rod 16 with the hook thereon will point downwardly or parallel with the side of the car. The sleeve 10 is allowed to swing as described by means of the bore extending at angle across the central bore and through means of the inclined end, as previously described. When the hook is pointed downwardly as described, after being released, the bag can be easily released by the mail clerk.

By the construction previously described, the hook may also be changed'so as to point in either direction in which the train may be traveling. By pulling upon the handle 17, the transverse key 22 will be removed from the elongated opening in the end of the sleeve 15 and the rod 16 can thus be rotated. When the direction of the hook is changed the transverse key 22 is then again engaged in the groove in the end of the sleeve. It will be seen that the shoulder 21 will limit the movement to which the rod 16 is subject.

From the above description, it will be seen that we have provided'a hook for catching the bag which is reversible and which will securely hold the bag in position after being caught. It will also be seen that it is not necessary for man to hold the hook in position to catch the bag, nor to lower the hook after the bag has been caught, as this is done automatically.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a forked casting secured to the rod against rotation, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod between thearms of the casting, a coiled spring connected to the casting and sleeve, and a hook connected to the sleeve.

2. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a forked casting secured to the rod against rotation, and provided with a recess, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod between the arms of the casting, a coiled spring mounted in the recess of the casting and connected to the sleeve, and a hook connected to the sleeve.

3. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms formed thereon with central bores through which the rod passes and one of said arms provided with a recess, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod between the arms, a coiled spring received in the recess of the arm and connected to the arm and sleeve, and a hook secured to the sleeve.

41:. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms provided with central openings through which the rod passes, one of said arms provided with an inner beveled face, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the rod and having one end beveled to correspond to the bevel of the arm, a spring connected to one end of the sleeve and to one arm of the casting, and a hook secured to the sleeve.

5. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms provided with openings through which the rod passes, one of said arms provided with an inner beveled face having a notch therein, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod and having one end beveled to correspond to the bevel of the arm, a projection formed on the beveled end of the sleeve and adapted to enter the notch, a spring connected to one arm of the casting and to one end of the sleeve, and a hook secured to the sleeve.

6. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms, provided with openings through which the rod passes, one of said arms provided with an inner beveled face, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod and having the ends beveled, a spring connected to one of the arms of the casting and to one end of the sleeve, and a hook rotatably connected to the sleeve.

7. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms provided with central openings through which the rod passes, one of said arms provided with a recess, and the opposite arm provided with an inner beveled face, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the vrod and having the ends beveled, a coiled spring received in the recess of the arm and connected to the sleeve, and a hook rotatably connected to the sleeve.

8. A mail catcher composing a rod, a casting having arms provided with central openings through which the rod passes, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the rod and having the inner bore beveled on opposite sides, at each end, a coiled spring connected to the casting and sleeve, and a hook secured to the sleeve.

9. A mail catcher comprising a rod, a casting having arms provided with central openings through which the rod passes} one of said arms provided with a recess and the opposite arm having a beveled inner face provided With a recess, a sleeve mounted upon the rod and having the ends beveled, a projection formed on one end of the sleeve and adapted to engage in the recess in the arm, a coiled spring received in the recess of the opposite arm and connected to the sleeve, and a hook rotatably connected to the sleeve.

10. A mail catcher comprising a hook having a groove therein, and a catch pivotally connected in the groove and provided With a spring catch adapted to engage the end of the groove. 11. A mail catcher comprising a hook having an elongated groove formed therein and a recess opposite the groove, a catch pivotally connected in the groove, and a spring catch connected to the first mentioned catch adapted to engage the end of the groove when in one position and the recess when in the. reverse position.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK WV. KNOWLES. ROY E. KNOWLES.

"Witnesses PEARL M. CLARK, L. E. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

